Shelter
by mayz
Summary: This is my attempt at filling in the blanks between scenes in the current story line.  First Jasam fanfiction, please let me know if I should continue.


"How many times have you had your head cut open? Huh?" Robin snapped at Patrick.

Sam was doing her best to stay calm and strong for Jason but hearing Patrick say the words, she was having a hard time keeping it together.

"Maybe he just needs a little time to think about it, maybe talk it over with Sam." Robin continued her defense of Jason making the decision opposed to having the decision made for him.

Clutching Jason's hand in her own Sam needed to make her voice heard, "Yeah, it was really tricky the last time and…"

Something was wrong, very wrong. In an instant Jason's hand went limp and his whole body began to convulse. Patrick and Robin rushed to his side, securing his head and calling for drugs to make the seizure stop. Sam stood there helpless as she watched him seize for what seemed to be an eternity. After what seemed like an hour a nurse appeared and injected Jason with a drug to help stop the seizure.

"He's coming around, Jason can you hear me?" Patrick said while slowly releasing Jason's wrist from his grasp.

A barely audible "mmm-hmm" escaped Jason's lips before his eyes slid closed again and he was still.

"What's going on? Robin? Is he? He isn't…" Sam stuttered.

"Sam, calm down, he's okay. He's not unconscious; he's not in a coma. A seizure takes a lot out of a person; he's sleeping. And right now that is the best thing for him." Robin assured her placing a reassuring hand on her back. "I'm going to go see about scheduling some more tests, Patrick will stay with you until he wakes up. We're going to figure this out Sam" with a comforting smile Robin turned and walked out of the room.

Suddenly Sam felt her legs turn to jelly and she started to lose her balance. Patrick rushed over and helped her to the chair next to Jason's bed.

"Sorry, I just… it's just so hard to see him, to watch him go through something so… is he… was he in pain?" Sam rambled to Patrick as he crouched down beside her.

"Sam, I know this is hard, believe me I do. You have got to stay strong for him, think positive, he's going to need you ya know."

After a few painfully long minutes of utter silence except for the sounds of the heart monitor and Jason's slow breathing he began to stir.

"Sam?" Barely more then a whisper Jason opened his eyes and turned his head towards Sam.

"Jason, hey, I'm right here. How are you? Do you need anything? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine." His response was punctuated with his eyelids slipping shut once again.

"Jason, its Patrick. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

"I'm fine." Jason repeated. Being accustomed to this response no matter what sort of physical or emotional state Jason was in Sam expected no other words to come out of his mouth. As untrue as they were they provided her with a slight sense of relief. As long as Jason said he was fine he would be. Jason never lies.

"Jason, I know that you are trying to be… well… you, but I need to know how you feel in order to fully asses the situation and I can't do that unless you help me." Patrick tried his best to reason with him.

Sam looked over to see Jason struggling to stay awake and in no shape to argue with Patrick so she did her best to explain that Jason was always fine. No matter what disaster was unfolding around them, no matter how badly he was injured or how dire the circumstances they were in he was always fine, and he was always right (sooner or later anyway).

As if on cue Robin came back through the door, "how's he doing?"

"Oh, he's fine, just ask him" Patrick responded.

"I can't ask him because he'll tell me he's fine no matter if he's shot or bleeding."

"I just tried to explain that." Sam chimed in.

"I'm tired… a little weak… and I have a really bad headache." Jason responded reluctantly.

With his response, time stopped for Sam. She flashed quickly through all the times that she had sat vigil by his bed, hospital or otherwise, and couldn't come up with a single instance that he had ever admitted that he was in pain, much less tired and weak.

How many times had he been shot, stabbed, or blown up? She couldn't keep count any more. He always found a way to keep going until it was safe for him to be hurt or tired. How many times had he gone days without sleeping, never showing signs of fatigue until he was in the safety of their home, in her arms? And here he was, in the hospital of all places, admitting to doctors; it didn't matter that it was Robin, that he was sick…

"Hey, they're going to figure this out. Everything's going to be okay." Sam reminded him.

"It has to… we're getting married." Jason did his best to muster up as much strength and confidence that the pounding in his head would allow.

"We're going to leave you two alone now, I'll let you know as soon as we can get you in for the rest of the tests. I'm going to send a nurse in with some medication to help with your headache" Patrick said as he ushered Robin out the door.

"No, no drugs please…" Jason's whisper came just as the door shut.

Gently running her fingers through his hair Sam was trying desperately to hold back her tears.

"Sam… it's okay… I'll be okay… I just need some…" Jason stopped short as he took a quick breath in and held it.

"Jason? Babe what's wrong? What's going on? Are you okay? Do I need to get a doctor?"

He slowly let the breath out, "no, no it's okay. I just have a really bad headache. Hurts to breath…"

"What? Okay let me get Robin" Jason grabbed her arm as she attempted to rush out to find Robin.

"Sam… Sam… it's okay it doesn't hurt _to breath, _it hurts _when I breath, _in my head… it makes the pounding… more intense…"

"Close your eyes, sleep for a while, I can see you're exhausted. Stop fighting it Jason your body is telling you that you need rest." As if hypnotized by the word sleep Jason's eyes drifted close and his whole body began to relax and melt back into the bed.

"Stay… with… me…ple…" Jason whispered as he finally gave in to his body's urge to sleep.

"I'm not going anywhere." Sam assured him but he was already asleep.

As she watched him, his body relaxed in slumber, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, and listened to the soft snores that only came with total exhaustion she felt her eyes fill with tears. And for the first time since the crash she let them fall. Lying in the bed before her, looking so pale and fragile was the strongest man she ever knew. Feared by so many and loved so intensely by a select few he was her rock, her 'stone-cold' rock. How would she ever go on if he were not in the world?


End file.
